Crime Statistics

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for  (a) murder,  (b) rape,  (c) sexual assault,  (d) manslaughter and  (e) robbery have been overturned in the last three years; and in how many cases of each type the sentence was reduced.

Harriet Harman: I have been asked to reply.
	The following table sets out, for the past five years, the number of conviction appeals allowed, sentence appeals allowed and references by the Attorney General where the Court of Appeal Criminal Division decided to increase the sentence following review.
	All figures relate to cases where the named offence (including inchoate offences) was the main offence under consideration by the Court. However, some results may reflect circumstances where the court also reviewed other offences committed by the same applicant.
	
		
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			  Murder   
			 Conviction appeal allowed(1) 15 17 20 31 28 20 
			 Sentence appeal allowed(2) — — — — 16 49 
			 Sentence increased following review 0 1 2 2 2 1 
			
			  Manslaughter   
			 Conviction appeal allowed(1) 4 1 5 3 5 5 
			 Sentence appeal allowed(2) 20 22 28 33 17 24 
			 Sentence increased following review 1 4 3 3 1 1 
			
			  Rape   
			 Conviction appeal allowed(2) 28 21 26 23 35 18 
			 Sentence appeal allowed(2) 40 39 28 37 42 53 
			 Sentence increased following review 4 2 7 10 2 4 
			
			  Robbery   
			 Conviction appeal allowed(1) 23 16 7 19 26 14 
			 Sentence appeal allowed(1) 113 109 125 172 159 130 
			 Sentence increased following review 11 11 16 14 9 11 
			  Sexual assault( 3)   
			 Conviction appeal allowed(1) 22 19 24 25 28 26 
			 Sentence appeal allowed(2) 77 71 78 117 80 77 
			 Sentence increased following review 5 7 6 14 10 4 
			 (1 )Includes cases where a retrial was ordered or where any aspect of the appeal was allowed. (2 )Includes all cases where there was any reduction to sentence, including reduction in tariff or to a non-custodial element.(3 )Includes indecent assault but not convictions for similar offences assault by penetration, indecency with a child.